Lawyers’ boycott: Jail admin seek new hearing dates

Say no police team was available on Saturday to send prisoners to court.

LAHORE: District jail administration has requested the district and sessions judge to set new dates of hearing in cases involving prisoners that were scheduled to be produced on Saturday. No prisoners were produced before courts as police guards were not sent to escort prisoners to the courts.

In separate letters written to DSJ Tariq Iftikhar Ahmed, Central and District Jail superintendents said they could not send the prisoners because no police vehicle was available for the purpose.

On Saturday, 140 prisoners from District Jail had to be presented before courts in the sessions court complex, 180 in the district courts building, 115 in Cantonment courts and 81 before Model Town courts.

Police officials assigned security duties at the district courts premises remained absent on Saturday as well. There were few litigants and other visitors.

The naib courts at some courts were also absent on Saturday. Those present were dressed in plain-clothes to avoid clash with lawyers.

The judicial lockups at the district courts also remained closed all day.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2015.